A Fresh Year, A Fresh Chance
by Heavenly Garden
Summary: SEQUEL to New Project, New Love. Tenma and Asou really like eachother, so why aren't they together yet? Read the drama of senior year. TenmaxAsou with mention of harixeri and mikoximo, oneside Nara/Tenma.
1. Senior Year

Well, here it is. The sequel to New Project, New Love. It took me a while to come up with the plot. Anyways, I hope you all give this a chance as you did my previous story. Again, this is going to be an AsouxTenma story with mention of HarixEr and MikoxImo.

Disclaimer: I do not own School Rumble blah, blah, blah …

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It was a sunny April day. The sky was blue, the grass was green, the trees were in full bloom, and the air was fresh. It was a wonderful day to start the new school year. Spring brought so many new beginnings. Especially, one person in particular.

"Ah! My senior year! This is the day I've been waiting for! Now, I'm closer to adulthood," said Tenma as she walked up to school with Yakumo behind her.

"I'm happy for you, Nee-san," she said.

"Just think: I take my college exams, my final exams, graduate, and then I'll be a college girl! Or should I say woman?" said a giggling Tenma. Yakumo smiled at her.

"I'm glad your happy, Nee-san," she said.

"And happy for you too, Yakumo. This year, I'm sure both of us will have boyfriends!" exclaimed Tenma. Yakumo just grinned unsurely at her sister. Up ahead on their walk, they were able to see the school. "Come on, Yakumo!" called out Tenma as she began to run to the school.

She jogged her way up the block and stopped to catch her breath when she reached the entrance. When she looked up at the school, Tenma broke out into a smile. The school was the same as always with many students grouped in front of it. Within seconds, Yakumo was right next to her.

"Nee-san, there's no need to hurry," said Yakumo. Tenma barely heard since she was so full of glee.

"This is going to be the best year ever," squealed Tenma. When she didn't hear a response, she turned her head and found Yakumo gone. "Yakumo? Where did you go?" Tenma spotted her behind a tree. "What's going on?" Tenma soon got her answer.

Down the street, Tenma saw a large dust cloud heading towards the school. She saw that Hanai was leading it. He quickly skidded towards a stop in front of Tenma.

"Good morning, Tsukamoto. Parton me for asking, but where is you amazing younger sister, Yakumo?" asked Hanai very quickly.

"Uhh …," started Tenma as she pointed towards the school building. "She went inside to use the bathroom." Hanai quickly thanked her and ran into the building calling out for Yakumo. Soon after, Yakumo came out from behind the tree.

"Thanks, Nee-san," she said. Tenma just smiled at her sister.

_I wonder how she knew Hanai was coming? _thought Tenma. She just brushed the thought away and took hold of her sister's hand. "Come on, Yakumo. Let's go see what classes we got into." They both walked up to the boards that displayed the names of the students. Yakumo went off towards the second years' while Tenma went off to the seniors' board. Once there, Tenma began to look up and down the board searching for her name. She later found hers and saw it under class 3-B. For reasons unknown to her, she released a sigh of relief. Then she began to wonder if her best friends were in the same class as her. And also anyone else from last year, like Harima, Hanai, Karen, Asou …

"Asou-kun! I wonder if we're in the same class?" she thought out loud. Tenma looked up at the chart and looked for Asou's name. She scanned up and down the row of names and blinked. Asou was not listed in her class. Tenma began to feel disappointment engulf her. Now how could she spend time with him? Tenma brought her bag up to her and held the rainbow keychain Asou had given her. She let out a sigh.

"Tenma?" said a voice startling her. She quickly turned around and saw the person that was occupying her thoughts: Asou. She couldn't help but blush when she saw him.

_Did he get taller? _she thought.

"Good morning, Tenma. How have you been?" he asked.

"Oh, I've been fine. How about you, Asou-kun?" she asked in return.

"About the same," he answered coolly. "It's so good to see you again. Hope you enjoyed your vacation. So, what class are you in?"

"Oh, um … I'm in 3-B," she said softly. Asou looked up over her to the board. There was a disappointing look on his face as he scanned the row of names.

"I'm in 3-A," he said with a gruff voice. "Too bad. I was hoping we could be in the same class again this year." Tenma looked up at him and blinked. He wanted to be in the same class as her too? What could he mean by that? She suddenly felt a spark in her heart. Tenma was about to say something when she heard her name being called. She turned around and saw her three friends. Tenma squealed with delight.

"Hey girls!" she shouted.

"Hey Tenma!" greeted Mikoto. She looked behind Tenma. "Morning, Asou." He nodded at her and the other girls.

"I'll see you later, Tenma," he said. He waved good-bye and walked to where Ryuuhei was waiting for him. Tenma waved him off and turned back to her friends who were eyeing her with interest.

"So, you and Asou, huh? When did this happen?" asked Eri while she and the other two girls leaned forward to hear her answer.

"What?! Oh no, no, no, no! It's not like that! We're just friends!" said Tenma desperately trying to explain. Her friends wouldn't believe her.

"Yeah, and so are Mikoto and Imodori," said Akira. Both Mikoto and Tenma had blushes on their faces.

A few yards away, Asou was also receiving the same grilling from Ryuuhei.

"So, are you finally gonna ask her out?" asked Ryuuhei. Asou just sighed and looked away.

"I don't know yet," he said. "I don't even know how she really feels about me. What if I just end up making a fool of myself?" Ryuuhei looked over at his friend with annoyance.

"Come on, man! That doesn't sound like you. You have a lot of girls thinking you're some cool dude and the one girl you actually want is making act like a chicken. That is so lame!" he said. Asou elbowed him in the ribs. "Owe!"

"Shut up. She's different, okay. I mean, she's really special. And you can't forget that she got dumped just a while ago." Asou scowled at the last comment remembering how Tenma had a huge crush on Karasuma. Ryuuhei slug his arm around his best friend.

"So what? Didn't I tell you to make her fall for you? What's the hold up? She's an ordinary girl so it should be easy, right?" asked Ryuuhei. Asou sighed at his friend's question. Tenma did seem like a normal girl to others, but to him, she was special.

"I don't know, man. It's gonna be hard to get close to her when we aren't in the same class this year. What if I'm not her type?" Ryuuhei groaned at his friend's words.

"Look, if you don't do something, eventually someone else will come in and take her away. Then what will you do?" Asou straightened up.

"I guess you're right. I'll wait for the right time, and then ask her out," decided Asou.

"That's the spirit. Just make sure you do it soon, okay?" encouraged Ryuuhei. Asou smiled.

"Yeah, don't worry. I'll find the right time to do it," he said and walked into the building with his friend.

:: In Class ::

Tenma was seated at her new desk in her new class. She began to look around to see if she could see any familiar faces from 2-C. She found out Mikoto was in her class but she left to go talk to Imodori in the hall. She noticed that Karen was in her class along with Yuki. She also saw Mihara and Tanaka talking in the corner. The rest of the students she saw were from the other previous classes. Eri was in class C and Akira was in class A with Asou. Tenma felt envious of her.

_I wish I could have been in class A with him,_ thought Tenma. Before she could get settled in, she heard her name being called. She looked up and saw Nara at the door. "Nara! It's so good to see you again!" she said as she walked up to him.

"Same here," said Nara. "So, how was your break?"

"It was fine. So, what class are you in?" asked Tenma.

"Oh, I'm in class A," he answered. Tenma was surprised.

"What?! You mean you're also in class A? Oh, man." Nara looked at her with confusion.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. So, what brings you here to class B?" she asked. Nara smiled sheepishly at her.

"Oh, … uh, I wanted to … see you, Tsukamoto," said a blushing Nara. Tenma, as clueless as ever, just smiled at him.

"Aww, that's so nice of you, Nara-kun. It was nice to see you, too," she said. Nara just sighed and noticed the clock.

"The bell is going to ring any minute now. I got to head to my class. I hope to see you around, Tsukamoto," he said.

"Uh-huh! I'll see you later," replied Tenma as she watched Nara leave. She then returned to her seat and began her train of thought. _I hope this year will be fun. I also hope to make new friends and get to go on a date. Hopefully with Asou-kun._ Tenma hid her face so that no one will she her blushing face. Inside, she felt that this year, nothing will go wrong.

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So, what did you guys think? Please send your reviews. I'll try to post the second chapter as soon as possible. I'm going to be going on vacation (against my will) so I'll be working on it. Thanks for reading!!


	2. Her Day, His Day

Hey everybody! I finally was able to finish chapter 2. It took me awhile due to school starting and doing a lot of house chores. Anyways, I didn't get as many reviews as I hoped but what the hey. Okay, on with the story.

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:: Tenma's Day ::

A few days went by since the start of the new term. It was now Thursday. Tenma was confident she going to be fine as she walked to school on her own. Even though her friends weren't in the same class, they still hung out like old times. She also got acquainted with some of the other students in her class. It was looking like a she and Asou were often chatting with one another in the halls. Although, she did notice some other girls take an obvious interest in him. Not that she could blame them. Asou was good-looking, smart, athletic, and had a job. He was like the all-around campus guy. Tenma's heartbeat increased when she thought of him.

She brought her book bag up and grasp the keychain that Asou had given her. It had become one of her most precious possession. It had special meaning to her. It symbolizes the message that Asou had told her and proof that he was thinking of her when he bought it. She clutched the keychain tighter and sighed happily. As she got to the school, Tenma was about to put her shoes away when she heard her name being called.

"Morning, Tenma," said Asou. She turned around and gave him a warm smile.

"Good morning, Asou-kun. How are you?" Tenma felt her heart leap for joy when he gave her one of his rare smiles.

"I'm fine. So, how are you liking senior year?" he asked.

"It's okay. But it's still too early for anything fun to happen," she said. Asou nodded. Before they could say anymore, Eri came up to them.

"Good morning, Tenma, Asou," she said.

"Morning, Eri-chan," said Tenma. Asou just nodded at her.

"See you later, Tenma," he said and left. Tenma couldn't help but feel a little empty when he left.

At lunchtime, Tenma and her friends were on the roof, eating their lunch. They were talking about their homeroom teachers, electives, and their classmates. Eri and Mikoto even said that they were going to double date tomorrow after school. That came as a shocker to Tenma and Akira, though she really didn't show it. Tenma was having so much fun. She felt as if this day would never end.

After she had finished her meal, Tenma excused her self from her friends. After the news about her friends' double date, she figured that she shouldn't be alone either. She decided to ask Asou if he wanted to do something, since they were becoming close. She began to blush at how forward she was becoming. Tenma was walking up to the door of class 3-B when she stopped short at the door. She leaned in closer to the door when she heard someone's voice saying her name.

"So, you gonna ask Tsukamoto out, Asou?" Tenma blinked at that question. Someone was asking Asou if he was going to ask her out! A spark of hope lit up in her heart and waited to hear his answer.

"Shut up! I don't see her in that way! That girl is not my type. I would never date her!"

Tenma pulled away from the door. Her hand trembled at her side while the other covered her mouth. A familiar strong pain began to eat away in her chest. Asou said he would never go out with her! That he didn't think she was his type. He rejected her before she even got a chance to tell him her feelings. She could feel tears forming in her eyes. The heartbreak was too much to bear. Refusing to hear anymore, she quickly ran away from the door and headed straight into the girls' restroom.

Tenma ran into the last stall and lock the door. She leaned up against the wall and slid down to the floor. She was unable to stop the tears from running down her cheeks. She covered her mouth to muffle the sound of her sobbing. She couldn't believe it. She couldn't believe it! Once again, her heart was broken. All she felt like doing now is crawling under a rock and never come out. She wanted desperately for this day to end.

After school, Tenma still didn't feel any better. She didn't go back to class until final period. Her friends came up to her to see if she was alright. But she couldn't tell them the truth. She couldn't tell them that she got her heart broken again. It would just make her look weak and a crybaby. She just had to put on a front and smile as if her world hadn't come crashing down. When the final bell rang, Tenma told Mikoto that she wasn't feeling well and was going to leave. Mikoto told her that it was alright and to get some rest. Tenma nodded and quickly left. She was just about to walk out of the gate when she heard her name being called and flinched. She turned around and saw the boy that made her heart ache.

"Hey," said Asou with a smile on his face. "Leaving already? Do you want me to walk you home?" Tenma couldn't bear the thought of being alone with him.

"Um, no thanks. I'm going to hang out with Yakumo at her work, and then I have to go to the market and pick up some groceries," she said. She was unable to look at his face.

"Oh . . . That's fine. Do you want me to come with you?" he asked her. Tenma tighten her grip on her school bag.

"No, you don't have to. Umm, I really have to go now," she said keeping her head down.

"Oh. Are you sure? 'Cause I was hoping we could talk for a moment?" he said. Tenma felt her hands tremble.

"Sorry, but I really have to get going," she said. She desperately wanted to get away from him.

"Oh, maybe some other time?" he asked. Tenma just nodded her head and walked away in a hurry. She didn't look back. She couldn't look back. Tenma just wanted to go home and try to forget this day. She wanted to forget Asou.

""

:: Asou's Day ::

Asou was feeling very good about today. Today was the day that he was going to ask Tenma out on a real date. A week had already past but he was ready. Not only will it get Ryuuhei to get off his case but he would finally be with the girl he deeply cares for. If she said yes that is. Asou thought about that for a moment.

If Tenma said no, then what? Could he really go back to just being friends? Asou was now beginning to have doubts. Then, a miniature Ryuuhei appeared in his head.

"_You dummy! You better ask her out! What kind of man would you be if you just give up?!"_ said the mini-Suga. Asou shook it out of his head. He took a deep breath and let it out quickly. He had to have confidence. It's not like he never asked a girl out before. He could do this. Asou would ask her out after school. As he got to the school, he immediately noticed Tenma as she was putting her shoes away. He hurried over to her.

"Morning, Tenma," said Asou. She turned around and gave him a warm smile.

"Good morning, Asou-kun. How are you?" she asked. He gave her a small smile.

"I'm fine. So, how are you liking senior year?" he asked.

"It's okay. But it's still too early for anything fun to happen," she said. Asou nodded. Before he had a chance to ask her out, Sawachika came up to them.

"Good morning, Tenma, Asou," she said.

"Morning, Eri-chan," said Tenma. Asou just nodded at her. He decided to take his leave.

"See you later, Tenma," he said and left. As he left the two girls to chat, Asou let out a sigh. It looked like he had to wait until after school to ask her out.

Throughout the whole day, Asou decided to play it cool. Things were going about normally. That is, until lunchtime. Asou was about to dig into his sandwich when Nara came up to him.

"Say, Asou, can I ask you something?" asked Nara. Asou looked at him his usual bored expression.

"What is it?" he asked feeling a little irritated about having to delay his meal.

"Um, how do you feel about Tsukamoto?" Asou was totally not prepared for that question. He stared at Nara. It almost seemed at if all the guys in class were waiting to hear his answer.

"Uhh …" he started. He didn't know how to answer that. He looked to Ryuuhei for help but he just as useless as he shrugged his shoulders.

"Wait, are you talking about Tsukamoto in class 3-B hot younger sister, right?" asked a classmate.

"Why would Asou be into the younger Tsukamoto when he's been hanging out with the older one?" asked Ryuuhei as his friend's defense. Some other guy smirked.

"So? He could be using her to get to the younger one," he said. Some of the other guys nodded at the possibility.

"Yeah, I mean, the older one is a dud. Yakumo Tsukamoto is a total babe!" said another guy. Suddenly, it seemed as if every guy was fawning over Yakumo and dismissing Tenma for any type of interest. Asou, at this point, was loosing his temper.

"So, you gonna ask Tsukamoto out, Asou?" asked another classmate. Asou slammed his hands on his desk and stood up.

"Shut up! I don't see her in that way! That girl is not my type. I would never date her!" he shouted. Everyone in the class stared at Asou. Nobody had ever seen him so angry before. He sat back down and continued eating his sandwich. Others decided to follow his example and tried to forget what happened. Asou saw Nara from the corner of his eye and couldn't help but notice a concerned look on his face.

As the final bell rang, Asou quickly packed his stuff in his schoolbag and was headed towards the door. He stopped short when he heard his name being called. He turned around and saw his friend Ryuuhei give him a thumbs up. Asou nodded and went to the class next to theirs. Once there, he looked around the class but was unable to find Tenma. He saw Mikoto was still there and asked her where she went. Mikoto said that Tenma didn't feel well and had already left. Asou thanked her and quickly dashed to find her. He smiled when he saw her from behind just before she reached the gates. He called out her name and could have sworn he saw her flinched. She turned around and Asou noticed something odd about her.

"Hey," said Asou with a smile on his face. "Leaving already? Do you want me to walk you home?" Asou thought that this could be his chance to be alone with her.

"Um, no thanks. I'm going to hang out with Yakumo at her work, and then I have to go to the market and pick up some groceries," she said. Asou noticed that she was not acting like herself.

"Oh . . . That's fine. Do you want me to come with you?" he asked her. He was beginning to be concerned for her.

"No, you don't have to. Umm, I really have to go now," she said keeping her head down.

"Oh. Are you sure? 'Cause I was hoping we could talk for a moment?" he said.

"Sorry, but I really have to get going," she said.

"Oh, maybe some other time?" he asked. Tenma just nodded her head and walked away in a hurry. As he watched her leave, Asou couldn't help but feel a wave a dread overcome his body. _"I wonder what happened. She really didn't seem like herself."_ he thought. He sighed and figured that he would have to ask her out tomorrow when she was feeling better . . . he hoped.

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So what did you all think? I was a little worried that I was making Asou a little OC. Anyways, please review to motivate me to put up chapter 3!


	3. Turmoiled Hearts

Hello everyone! Sorry for taking so long to update, classes take up too much of my time. Anyways, since I now started Spring Break, I decided to finish chapter 3. Here it is!

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Chapter 3

Tenma was walking to school alone feeling depressed. She left the house after Yakumo after having a rough morning. She still couldn't get over the fact that Asou said those things. She had yesterday to think about it. She came to the conclusion that it was obvious. Asou was very popular among girls. There was no way she could be with him.

"_I mean, his last girlfriend was Mikoto. How could I think that he would go for someone who is the total opposite of her?"_ thought Tenma with despair. _"First Karasuma-kun, and then Asou-kun. Am I doomed to be single for the rest of my life?" _Tenma felt herself go deeper in misery. She was betting that she was going to be alone forever. She could only hope that she wouldn't turn into a senile old lady. Oh well, she just had to get through the day. Now, she could only hope that she wouldn't run into him today.

Tenma slowly reached the school. She headed towards her shoe locker when she noticed someone was already standing next to it. She prayed that it wasn't Asou. Instead, to her surprise, it was actually Kentaro Nara. Tenma blinked in confusion. She walked up to him and noticed that he saw her and stood up straight.

"Nara-kun? What are you doing here?" she asked. Tenma noticed that he looked a bit nervous.

"Um, good morning, Tsukamoto-san. I was just … uh, waiting for you?" he said. Now, Tenma was really confused.

"Waiting for me? For what?" she asked curiously. Nara began to fidget and began to look around at the students that were coming in.

"Umm, do you mind if we go somewhere private?" he asked. "I'd like to ask you something." Tenma blinked at him but nodded. Nara lead her outside to the side of the school building. There, no one would bother them. Tenma turned to Nara.

"Okay, Nara-kun. What was it that you wanted to ask me?" she asked innocently. Nara began to get flustered.

"Well, I … um… you s-see I …" Nara's hands began to tremble and a blush was forming on his face.

"What is it, Nara-kun?" asked Tenma looking up at him with curiosity on her face. Nara coughed in his fist and straighten up.

"Tsukamoto-san will you . . . please go out with me?" he said. Tenma was completely taken back and gasped. Nara asked her out. Nara had asked her out! Someone had actually asked her out! She couldn't believe it. This was something she was waiting for so long.

But, she always wanted it to be from someone she really liked. Deep in her heart, she wanted Asou to ask her out. But . . . he said that he would never ask her out. That he didn't see her in that way. She looked at Nara's face and saw how nervous he was and felt sympathy towards him. He had that same anxious look on his face as she did when she confessed to Karasuma. She suddenly didn't have the heart to reject him. She would be just as bad as those who broke her heart. Tenma took a deep breath and smiled up at him.

"Sure! I'll go out with you," she said. Nara looked at her with disbelief but quickly broke out into a smile.

"You will? That's great! Do you want to go out this Sunday or are you busy?" he asked. Tenma shook her head.

"No, I'm not busy. Sunday would be fine," she said. Nara face brighten up.

"Great! I'll talk to you after school about it, okay?" Tenma nodded.

"Okay," she said. Nara hurried away towards the school entrance leaving Tenma alone to her thoughts.

"_What have I done? Did I do the right thing?"_ she asked herself, feeling a wave of regret creeping up on her. She quickly banished the negative thoughts away. _"No, I have to do this. I have to move on. Who knows? Nara could end up being my first boyfriend."_ Even after that last thought, Tenma still felt uneasy.

After getting over the shocking event that took place, Tenma went into the building and into her classroom. She was immediately greeted by Mikoto.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" she asked. Tenma smiled weakly and lied.

"I'm fine. Sorry if I worried you," she said. Mikoto smiled unsurely.

"Okay then. Oh, Asou was looking for you after school yesterday. Did he get to talk to you?" she asked. Tenma felt a pang in her heart again.

"Um, yeah . . . He did. It was nothing important though." Mikoto looked at her doubtfully. Before she had a chance to say anything, the bell rang. Tenma and Mikoto went to their own seats and waited for the teacher. Even during the lectures, Tenma still couldn't rid the strange feeling she was having in her chest.

:: Lunchtime ::

Ryuuhei and Imodori were standing in line in the cafeteria to get some food. They were very hungry and couldn't wait for the many people in front of them to get through. Suddenly, Nara came running up to them in a haste. Much to Imodori's distaste, Nara fell to his knees and clutched to Imodori's leg.

"Imodori, you gotta help me," whined Nara. Imodori tried to kick him off.

"Ugh, get off of me," he said. Nara just clutched his shirt and looked up at him with pleading eyes.

"Please, Imodori. I have a date this Sunday, and I don't know what to do," he said. Both Ryuuhei and Imodori raised their eyebrows at this. Then, Imodori showed interest.

"What?! You finally got a date? With who?" he asked. He was surprised that Nara was able to ask a girl out and that a girl accepted. This was big news.

"Umm, Tenma Tsukamoto …" said Nara with a blush on his face. Ryuuhei froze when he heard that name. He couldn't believe it. There was no way. While Ryuuhei was shocked upon hearing this, Imodori was just surprised.

"Wow! So you asked sweet little Tsukamoto out. Nice job. Though, I can't really say that about her figure. But she does seem like an ordinary girl. Okay, Nara, I'll help you out," he said.

Even though it was his turn in line to order and that he was very hungry, Ryuuhei dashed away. Nara and Imodori were confused by his actions. Imodori just shrugged it off and was happy that he was next in line. Ryuuhei went running down the hall to his classroom.

Asou, who was sitting at his desk, was trying to get peace of mind. He was eating his sandwich while reading through a basketball magazine. But no matter what, his mind still went back to Tenma. He was still confused about her actions yesterday. He tried to shrug if off but it was no use. Her behavior was still bugging him. Just then- BANG! Asou felt something hit him in the back of the head. He turned around to find the culprit to be Ryuuhei with a dictionary in his hands.

"Suga, what the hell?!" shouted Asou.

"You blockhead! You said that you were going to ask her out yesterday!" hashed out Ryuuhei. Asou eyes widened. He didn't tell Suga about Tenma yesterday; so how did he know?

"What are you talking about?" asked Asou. Ryuuhei put his hands on his hips.

"I told you to hurry up or else you'd lose you chance, didn't I?" Ryuuhei's words struck him hard. Asou was hoping he didn't mean what he thought he meant.

"You don't mean …" Ryuuhei nodded his head slowly.

"Nara asked Tsukamoto out and she said yes." Asou felt his blood run cold. Now nothing made sense. One minute, Tenma was cheerful and the next, she's depressed. And now the next day, she agrees to go out with Nara! Ordinary, pushover Nara?!

"And what's worse," continued Ryuuhei, "is that he asked Imodori for advice." Asou was even more concerned about the situation. But still, why would Tenma agree to out with Nara? She never even hinted that she liked him. He almost got the urge to run out and ask her about the whole situation. Ryuuhei noticed his friend's solemn expression and sighed. "So, are you gonna do anything about it?" Asou got up from his chair and left the room. Ryuuhei looked at his retreating form disappear out the door. He didn't see him again until class had started.

:: After School ::

Tenma was at her locker getting her shoes on. She sighed heavily. Even after school was over she still didn't feel very good. She was still feeling distraught over Asou. And she was beginning to hate herself for agreeing to go out on a date with Nara. And she didn't even tell her friends about it. But, what's done is done. Though, she did try and think of ways to get out of it.

"Tsukamoto-san," said a voice. Tenma turned around and saw Nara behind her. He had a huge grin on his face. Tenma forced out a smile.

"Hello, Nara-kun," she said.

"Listen, about Sunday, how about we meet in town for a movie? Then, afterward, we'll go out for a bite to eat. How does that sound for our date?" he asked. Tenma felt uneasy when he said the word 'date'. But, she decided not to be rude about it.

"Sure, that will be fine," she said.

"Great! I'll see you tomorrow to decided what movie to see and where to meet. Later!" said Nara as he took off. Tenma just looked at his departing form. Was she really doing the right thing? She felt guilty that she was just using Nara to move on but … she couldn't just allow herself to feel shattered over her rejection. Tenma slowly inhaled some air and released it slowly as well. She just needed to buck up. She had to be strong. Tenma continued to put on her outdoor shoes when she heard her name being called again. She locked up when she recognized the voice. She slowly looked up and saw Asou. Tenma felt her mouth go dry. She took a deep breath through her nose and released it.

"H-Hello, Asou … kun," she said with a weak smile.

"Hey, Tenma. I … We didn't get a chance to see or talk to each other all day," he said. Tenma could have sworn she saw a look of hurt on his face.

_So, he noticed,_ thought Tenma. She did her best to cover it up. "Oh, …yeah. I guess we were both busy." Asou stared hard at her. He had a feeling that she was desperately avoiding him.

"Listen, um … about yesterday-"

"Oh! Sorry, Asou-kun, but I have to get going. I have a lot of homework tonight and I have to make dinner. But, I'll talk to you tomorrow … maybe …" said Tenma. Asou was taken back. She was behaving just like the day before. What was going on with her?

"Oh, um . . . yeah, sure."

"Okay, bye!" says Tenma as she hurried off. Asou stood in hurt confusion looking at her retreating form. Tenma seemed to be in a rush to get away from him. And, he never did get a chance to ask if it was true about her date with Nara. He figured that if she ever got a date, she would be all smiles. This was not like Tenma at all. He was determined to get to the bottom of this.

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So what did you guys think? Don't worry, it will get better, . . . I hope. Anyways, please review and tell me what you think, please. Thank you!!


	4. A Date with Nara

Hey everyone! I'm back! Sorry for not updating. I'm computer fried! L Anyways, this is chapter four so please enjoy.

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At their usual coffee shop, Mikoto and Eri were sitting at a table talking about the latest gossip and other girl stuff with Imodori and Harima sitting with them. The young men looked less than interested in being there, but of course the girls paid no attention to their behavior.

"Hey, why don't we all go shopping on Sunday? I heard that awesome clothing store is going to have a sale that day," suggested Eri.

"Good idea. Oh, we should ask Tenma to come with us," said Mikoto. "She seemed pretty down lately. I don't want her to be alone that day."

"Oh, she won't be alone," said Imodori. Everyone stopped to look at him.

"What do you mean by that?" asked Mikoto. Imodori smirk and leaned closer into the center, eager to share this bit of gossip.

"Well, little Tenma Tsukamoto has a date on Sunday," he said. The other three teens jumped with surprise.

"You're kidding?!" the girls shouted. "With who?!"

"Heh, with Nara," said Imodori with certainty. The girls' jaws dropped. This was such a shocker! Tenma had a date with a boy! They weren't being mean by thinking that. It's just that, Tenma would have told them if something this big happened to her. But she just seemed gloomier.

"And how do you know this?" asked Eri to see if his sources were reliable.

"Because Nara came up to me for advice. Of course I gave him a few pointers," answered Imodori with pride. Harima's narrowed behind his black shades. He kicked Imodori hard from under the table. Imodori yelped and grabbed hold of his shin. Eri looked over at Harima who was just sipping his coffee. She decided to let it go since there was something more important at hand: Tenma.

"Amazing. So Tenma has a date on Sunday? I wonder why she didn't tell us?" wondered Mikoto.

"Don't know. Maybe she was just being shy about it. But I am curious now. We better talk to her," said Eri. Mikoto nodded her head in agreement. Harima, on the other hand, knew he had to talk to someone else about this incident.

:: Next Day ::

Asou was coming up the steps of the school. He was feeling exhausted. Last night he had to work overtime at the restaurant. Fortunately, it kept his mind off of Tenma. But now that he was at school, everything came flooding back. Even though today was a half-day, he still didn't want to be here. Asou let out a huge sigh as he stood at his locker. He took off his sneakers and began to put on his indoor shoes. Just then, he heard something slam against the lockers. He turned to see Harima leaning near him.

"Hey Harima," greeted Asou.

"What's this I hear about the twerp Nara and Tenma going out?" asked Harima in his famous stern tone. Asou's eyes widen. So, Harima knew about it too.

"Ten-, Tsukamoto can make her own choices. Just because you like a girl, doesn't mean she has to go out with you," defended Asou. Harima snorted.

"Don't give me that. I gave up my feelings for her because I figured you'd make her happier than I ever could. And you just let her go so easily? I thought you were a man." Asou narrowed his eyes.

"Yeah, well I thought she liked me back, but she decided to go out with another guy. So what can I do? I can't force her to go out with me," said Asou. Harima snorted.

"Guess you don't have it in you. First you have to figure out the important questions: does she really like you and why did she agree to a date with another guy? Figure it out," he said. And with that, Harima took off. Asou was lost in thought. On one hand, Harima had a point. The other, was Tenma Tsukamoto worth all this turmoil? Asou had a lot to think over.

As first period came to an end, Tenma decided to clear her mind a bit. She went inside the girls' restroom to wash her face. As she splashed the cool water on to her face, she realized how far deep she actually gotten herself in with her agreement to go out with Nara. She just had to hope that she could keep this from her friends a little while longer. After she dried her face with her handkerchief, Tenma was being stared at by the three faces of her friends. Tenma stepped back a little.

"H-Hey, girls. What's up?" asked Tenma uneasily.

"Okay Tenma, spill," said Mikoto. Tenma gulped and smiled nervously.

"What are you talking about Mikoto?" asked Tenma.

"Oh, stop it. We want to know if it's true about you and Nara," said Eri. Tenma almost felt her heart stop. How did her friends find out? Did Nara tell them? Looking at her friends determined faces, Tenma knew there was no escape from this. She let out a sigh and decided to confess.

"Okay, okay. Nara asked me out . . .and I said yes." Somehow, her friends didn't feel that she was really excited about it.

"No offense, but this is a shocker," said Eri. "I mean, you and Nara? You didn't seem all that interested in him. Especially last year during our trip to the beach."

"What changed?" asked Akira. Tenma looked down and mumbled something.

"What was that?" asked Mikoto.

"He asked me out. A guy finally asked me out. Sure, he wasn't the guy that held my heart, but he saw me as a girl. And also, I saw something in him."

"And, what was it?" asked Eri.

"I saw my old self in him. The way he had a hopeful yet nervous look in his eyes. I know how hard it was for me to confess to Karasuma, so I know it must have taken a lot of courage for Nara to ask me out. I couldn't turn him down and have him feel the way I did when I got rejected. I couldn't do that to him," explained Tenma. Her friends looked at each other and back to her.

"But Tenma, are you sure you want to do this? I mean, you'll end up leading him on," said Mikoto.

"I already said yes. And who knows, I might actually start to like him back," said Tenma. However, it sounded like she was trying to convince herself more than her friends.

After school, things still didn't feel right for Tenma. Tomorrow will be her date with Nara. She let a big sigh as she began to put her outdoor shoes on. She always thought that her first date would have made her happy. But since accepting, she had been more down than ever. Tenma knew why but didn't want to accept it.

"Tsukamoto!" someone called out. Tenma turned and saw Nara running up to her. She felt her breath hitch in her throat but smiled at him.

"Nara-kun, what's up?" she asked. Nara was too oblivious to notice her forced smile.

"Oh, not much. I'm just really excited for tomorrow," he said with a huge grin on his face.

"Ha ha. Yeah, totally. I can't wait," she said. Tenma felt a knot in her stomach.

"Listen, I was wondering if you want to see the movie _Nights of the Zombie_. I heard it was a good movie," he suggested. Tenma wasn't really a horror movie person. But she just smiled on through.

"Sure. I don't mind. Let's go see it," she said. Nara nodded.

"Okay. Than we can got to that new hot dog stand. I think the hot dogs are tasty. So, we'll meet in uptown at one. Is that alright?"

"Yeah," said Tenma. Nara said his good-byes and skipped off away, leaving Tenma with a bucket of regret. _A movie and going to get something to eat? That doesn't sound like much fun. At least when Asou took me out-_. Suddenly, felt her body go numb. Asou! The reason for her heartbreak. She felt horrible for going out with someone else while she still held feelings for him.

"Tenma?" she heard behind her. She felt her heart skip a beat. She knew that voice! She slowly turned around to come face to face with Hiroyoshi Asou, the boy who made her ache. She hoped that he did not see her and Nara together.

"H-Hello, Asou-kun," she said softly. Asou looked at her.

"Tenma," he answered. _She looks so small,_ he thought. "So, you and Nara are really going out, huh?" Tenma felt like running away, but her feet wouldn't budge.

"Um, yeah. He asked me out, so I said yes," she murmured looking down at her feet. Asou felt a sting in his chest when he heard that from her.

"Oh. So . . .do you like him?" It was hard for Asou to ask that.

"Uh, no . . .yes . . . I don't know. I mean, it complicated," said Tenma. Asou needed to know her exact answer. He placed his hands on her shoulders to will her to look at him.

"Tenma, do you really want to be with him?" he asked. When Tenma looked into his eyes, she saw a longing that she never saw in him. It was as if his eyes were trying to tell her something. Tenma felt the need to be embraced by him. Just then, she remembered what he had said to his classmates. Despair filled her and quickly stepped back.

"I . . . I have to go!" Tenma quickly turned around and took off. Asou was left looking at her fleeting form. He was even more confused. Just for a moment, he saw something in Tenma's eyes. Something in them seemed to be begging for him. Now, Asou couldn't shake this off. He knew Suga was right. He had to do something soon.

:: Next Day ::

Tenma was walking along the sidewalk in a slow manner. For some reason, the movie theatre seemed a lot farther than before. She stopped at a crosswalk. The next block up was the location in which she was going to have her date. Tenma had the urge to turn around and run away. To run towards a certain café where her sister worked or a certain Chinese restaurant where . . . She knew that there was no way out of this. When the light turned green, Tenma took a deep breath and walked on forward. It was only going to be for a few hours. She could do this. And soon enough, she had reached the movie theatre.

"Tsukamoto!" Tenma saw Nara waving at her. She saw that he was wearing blue jeans, a red shirt, and a loose jacket. Tenma looked down at her attire. She was wearing a violet skirt and a yellow sweater. She felt that it was appropriate. Tenma walked up to Nara.

"Tsukamoto, you made it. You look really cute," he said.

"Um, thank you, Nara-kun," she said. Nara smiled even more.

"So, shall we get going?" Tenma looked at the post of the movie they would be watching. It illustrated a zombie man crawling out of his grave. She took a deep breath.

"Yeah. Let's go," she said. Nara nodded and led her into the theatre.

For the next two hours, Tenma sat through the movie. She cringed every time the zombie caught his victim and ate the body. There were some parts in which she felt she was going to vomit. Nara seemed like he didn't have a care in the world. He was too fascinated in the film to notice Tenma's discomfort. However, half-way through the movie, Nara tried to take a hold of Tenma's hand. Tenma, however, pretended to sneeze in it. That made Nara rethink his move.

After the movie, the two left the theatre and walked two blocks. There, Nara led Tenma to a hot dog stand. They waited in line for twenty minutes before they were able to get to the counter. During that time, Nara was telling Tenma the parts of the movie that he found interesting. Tenma just nodded her head and forced out smiles. When they got their hot dogs, Tenma looked at it and then at Nara who was happily eating his.

_This feels strange. I'm not really enjoying myself, yet, Nara-kun looks like he's having a good time, _she thought. Tenma took a bite of her hot dog but instead of tasting the delicious frank and bun, she tasted a bitter metallic feeling in her mouth.

After an hour or so of looking through a nearby music store, Tenma decided that it was time to say farewell. She looked at Nara and smiled lightly.

"Well, thanks for the good time, Nara-kun," said Tenma.

"Oh, you're leaving?" asked a surprised Nara.

"Yeah. I need to check up with Yakumo today. She's working at the café," she said. It wasn't a lie. She need to see her sister. Tenma hoped that being with her will put her at ease.

"Oh, okay. I guess I'll see you tomorrow at school," said Nara with disappointment on his face.

"Uh-huh. And thanks again, Nara-kun," said Tenma. She turned around and went on her way. When she knew it was safe, Tenma let out a sigh of relief. It was so hard to keep up face. She had to get away. She walked to a bus stop and waited for the bus. When it arrived, she boarded and waited patiently to get to the coffee shop. After twenty minutes, she got off at her stop and into the café. She scanned the area and found no sign of her sister. Tenma walked up to owner.

"Excuse me. Is Yakumo still here?" she asked. The manager shook his head.

"I'm afraid not. She got off only an hour ago," he said. Tenma sighed in disappointment.

"Well, thanks anyway," she said. Tenma left the eatery and decided to head on home. She needed some peace of mind. How could her life be so messed up now? What went wrong? Tenma knew the answer. It had to do with the tall, athletic, handsome boy that had been haunting her thoughts. But, she just couldn't face him. Not after what he'd said about her to his classmates. But, then why was he so desperate to talk to her recently? Nothing makes sense anymore. Without realizing it, she found herself in the front of her house. Tenma opened the door to her house to find it dark inside.

"Yakumo, I'm home," she called out. She received no answer. Tenma was now curious to the whereabouts of her younger sister. Where was she when she needed comfort? She walked into the kitchen and turned on the lights. On the table was a plate full of curry. Beside it was it note. Tenma picked up the note and read it.

_Dear Nee-san,_

_I went over to Sara's to study. I might be back late. I left this plate of shrimp curry for you. Heat it up if you get hungry. _

_-Yakumo_

Tenma placed the note back down and stared at the plate. Even though she knew her stomach was empty, she didn't really have an appetite. She walked out of the kitchen and into the next room. She noticed the door to the outside was open. Something drew Tenma to the portico. As she stepped out, she saw Iori sleeping in the center. She picked up the black cat, which gave an annoyed meow, and placed him on her lap. Tenma leaned against the post and looked up at the endless number of stars.

Yakumo, at this time, was just entering through the front door. She said she was going over to Sara's but she really was over at Harima's, helping him with his manuscript. She wondered if her sister had come home yet. She called out for her sister but received no answer. Yakumo came to wonder if her sister was still out. She looked at her watch and saw that it was seven past ten. Yakumo became worried. She walked into the kitchen and noticed that the light was on. Yakumo remembered that she turned all of the lights off. Investigating further through the house, Yakumo spotted her sister outside. She was about to call out to her when she noticed Tenma looking a little gloomy.

"Oh, Iori. Do you think I can find a guy that will make me truly happy?" asked Tenma while petting the purring cat. Yakumo heard her sister's words and felt helpless to help her.

"Oh, Nee-san." Yakumo could only wish for her sister's happiness. But, she knew that she wasn't the one to give it to her.

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So what did you all think? I know I'm taking awhile but hey, I'm trying. So anyways, please review.


	5. Never Give Up!

I'm ba-ack! Did you miss me guys? Or did you just miss the updates? (sniff) Sorry about not posting any chapters in a long time. It was a really rough year for me. Not to worry, I'll try my best to keep adding to my story for all of you to read. And I even tried to my hardest on this chapter too. Rejoice, people! Tee-hee.

Disclaimer: I don't own School Rumble yada, yada, yada . . .

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Chapter Five

It was a beautiful Monday morning, but to one girl, it wasn't all that sunny. Tenma had awoken in a gloomy mood. She wasn't in the mood for school today, but she knew that if she didn't go, Yakumo would worry. She sluggishly got out of bed and began to get changed.

_This is going to be a long day, _thought Tenma. After she put on her uniform jacket, she left her room and began to walk downstairs. She saw Yakumo in the kitchen, as usual. Upon entering, Yakumo turned around.

"Good morning, Nee-san. I'll serve you breakfast," she said as she began to grab a plate.

"That's okay, Yakumo. I'm not really hungry," said Tenma with a weak smile. Yakumo frowned at her sister.

"Nee-san, you haven't eaten well in the past few days. I'm worried about your health." An image of last night entered Yakumo's head. "And, I also worry that you're losing your happiness." Tenma sighed at what her sister said. It wasn't her intention to make her worry. Tenma felt disappointed in herself at making Yakumo grow very concern for her.

"Oh, Yakumo. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. You should be focusing on school right now. Besides, I should be the one worried about you, so relax," she said. Yakumo was still not convinced by her older sister's words.

"But, Nee-san . . . I have the right to worry about you too. Especially since your heart seems to have faltered," she said. Tenma frowned. So, her younger sister noticed, huh? She almost felt like a failure as an older sister.

"I'm sorry if I worry you, Yakumo. But, there's something going on with me that I don't think even you could help me with. I'm sorry," she said as she hung her head.

"I . . . I understand. But, I really want you to get better, Nee-san. So, please, at least take the lunch I made. And be sure to eat it. I worry about your health," said the younger sister as she held out a bento box. Tenma smiled weakly at her sister's ever concern for her.

"I will," said Tenma as she took the colorfully clothed lunch from her. She then walked over to the door and reached for her school bag. She stopped her hand when something caught her eye. It was the rainbow keychain that Asou had given her. She held the small item in her hand before sighing. Tenma, ever so gently, removed the item and placed it inside her pocket. She felt something in her chest but ignored it. She bid her sister good-bye and headed out the door.

: : At School : :

Asou was sitting at his desk, reading the newest issue of his basketball magazine. Suga was sitting across from him, reading a car magazine. Suga, every so often, would glace up at his best friend. He wanted to talk to him about what he was going to do about Tenma since she went out with Nara yesterday. However, judging by the scowl on his face, Suga thought against it. So, he they were, silently reading. Just then, Nara entered the room.

"Hey, Nara! How did your date go?" asked Yoshidayama with the ever large Nishimoto standing beside him. Nara blushed as he rubbed the back of his head.

"It was fun. We went to a movie, got something to eat, and talked a bit," he said.

"What? That's it? Man, I'd figured you to be the slow type when it came to girls," said Yoshidayama exasperated. Suddenly, a few guys surrounded them. "I mean, you didn't even kiss her, did you?" Asou, who was trying his best not to listen, clenched his magazine.

"Well, Imadori did give me advice, but I knew Tsukamoto wasn't the type to go with it," said Nara. Yoshidayama sighed.

"Well, I'll give you that. Tsukamoto does seem like the slow type too. Guess that's why you two seem perfect for each other." Asou jaw began to tighten up.

"If you would like," began Nishimoto, "I could lend you some 'study' material for when you two do reach that point." The rest of the boys began to whistle and offer Nara their two cents. Just then, Asou stood up.

"I give up," he said under his breath. Suga, apparently, heard him.

"Give up? On what?"

"I give up this whole thing. I give up on her," said Asou as he walked out of the room.

During lunchtime, Tenma, Akira, and Mikoto were sitting around Mikoto's desk, eating their meals. Mikoto began to chat about how she managed to pin Hanai down yesterday during their spar. Akira focused her attention on the story while Tenma was poking through her food. She tried to eat it all like she promised Yakumo she would but her appetite wouldn't come, even though she was exhausted from avoiding Nara all day. She could face him yet.

"Man, I can't believe how things between Eri and Harima are right now. I mean, those two are actually having lunch together right now. Guess now they don't care about other people knowing about them," said Mikoto. Akira nodded while sipping her juice. Tenma took a deep breath and stood up.

"Sorry, guys. But I need some fresh air," said Tenma as she walked out the door. Mikoto stared after her in confusion.

"What's with her lately? I'm starting to get really worried. I miss the old Tenma," she said. Akira nodded but said nothing. However, she knew that this had to end.

On the rooftop, there was a single person who stood near the ledge. Tenma just looked over the view of the neighborhood. Time just seemed to go by so slow. She couldn't even focus in class or any conversion her friends would have. Also, her whole body felt void of any feeling. It was unbearable. She didn't smile like she use to, laugh like she use to, or even get angry like she use to. Why couldn't things be like they were before? Why was she feeling this way?

In her mind, she already knew the answer. She knew the reason why she felt so empty inside. It was because of Asou. He was the one that made her feel this way. He was the reason why Tenma's chest hurt everyday. But, why was it just him? Tenma doesn't recall that Karasuma made her feel this heartbroken. Suddenly, Tenma heard the door open and turned around. She was surprised to see Akira standing there.

"Akira? What are you doing here?" asked Tenma. Akira, as stoic as ever, walked up to her.

"Tenma, are you okay?" she asked. Tenma was taken back by her question.

"O-Of course I am! Gee, Akira, who would have thought you'd be a worrywart!" said Tenma, trying to mask her despair. As expected, Akira saw right through it.

"Tenma . . . are you okay?" she repeated. Tenma stared into Akira's hard gaze for a moment. Looking into her eyes like this always made Tenma feel like Akira was able to see into her soul. She knew she couldn't lie to her friend. Finally, she broke down and collapsed against Akira. Everything that she had been holding in for days came flooding out.

"Oh, Akira! What should I do? Everything doesn't feel right anymore. Everything seems so messed up!" sobbed the poor girl. "I . . . I just don't know what to do? Why do I have to feel this way? I . . . I wish I'd never fallen in love! That way, my heart would have never got broken!" All that Akira could do in that moment was hold her small friend. It took a few minutes for Tenma to steady her breathing.

"Tenma, you don't really think that, do you?" asked Akira. Tenma looked up in confusion.

"Huh?" Akira took a strong hold of Tenma' shoulder and forced her to look her in the eyes.

"Do you really believe that you life would have been so much better if you hadn't fallen for _him_? Because deep down, I know you don't think so. And I also know that deep down, you don't want to let it go. You want to feel the same way again," she said. Tenma began to tremble as Akira's words hit her like a ton of bricks. As she began to reflect back and realized that Akira was right. She was so happy when she was around Asou. He made her feel like she could do anything. He looked out for her in a way that no one else could. Asou was the only one who could make her reach a new level of happiness. Tenma didn't want to let go of that feeling.

"But, what should I do? How do I get it back?" sobbed Tenma. Akira continued to hold her friend.

"You already know the answer to take, Tenma. You have to let him know how you feel," she said.

"But . . . but what if he turns me down? What if he starts to hate me?" asked a scared Tenma. Akira took hold of Tenma's shoulders to push her back and forced her to look at her.

"Tenma, you can't be afraid of this. You know how you feel. Now is the time to be strong and let them be known. He has to know what you're feeling. Face him and don't back out. And no matter what, be honest about how you feel. Only then, will you be able to move forward, no matter the outcome," she said.

Tenma may have been dense when it came to many things, but she knew what Akira was saying. She had to tell Asou how she felt about him. Either if he accepted or rejected her, she wouldn't be able to move on with her life if she kept it bottled up.

"You're . . . you're right, Akira. I can't go on like this anymore. I have to let him know. I'm not going to back down!" said Tenma with determination. Akira smirked at her friend's resolve.

_She's almost back to normal,_ thought Akira. Just then, the school bell rang. "Let's get going."

"You go on ahead, Akira. I'll just stay out here for a moment," said Tenma. Akira nodded and headed back inside. Tenma, alone once more, stared up at the blue sky. _When I see him, I have to let him know. He has to know that I like him, maybe even more than it seems. I can only hope that he will be willing to give me a chance,_ she thought. Tenma reached into her pocket and pulled out one of her most treasured items: the rainbow keychain. She held it up to her heart and sighed. "Please," she said as if praying, "Please give me strength."

: : After School : :

Tenma grabbed her belongings and began to head out the door. Before she could reach it, she heard her name being called by Mikoto.

"Hey Tenma, where's the fire?" she asked. Tenma gave her a smile.

"There's something I have to do," she answered back and left. Mikoto was taken aback and then raised an eyebrow.

"What's with her now?" Mikoto asked herself.

Tenma rushed over to Asou's classroom and waited by the door for someone to come out. The first people she saw were two girls giggling as they exited their classroom. Tenma then approached them.

"Excuse me, could you tell me if Asou-kun is still in the room," she asked the girls. The girls stopped and looked at one another before looking back at Tenma.

"Asou? I think he already left," said one girl. Her friend next to her nodded.

"Yeah. Doesn't he have a job and left right away," the other girl asked her friend. Tenma felt her face fall.

"Oh. Well, thank you for telling me," said Tenma and walked away disappointed. It seemed as though this chance slipped away. Perhaps this was a sign. Tenma shook her head of the thought. She couldn't give up now. She'll just have to wait for another opportunity. Or better yet, make one herself. She clenched her fist with determination. _Alright! I'll have a talk with him when he gets off from work. I'll wait as long as I have to!_

That evening, at the Chinese restaurant, Asou began working very hard without a moment's rest. Ever since he walked in to start his shift, he began to work nonstop. He would take orders, bus tables, cook fried rice, and wash dishes. He even cleaned the windows. Sara had arrived an hour later than Asou and immediately noticed his actions.

"Well now, it's great to see one of my best employees working so hard but I think it's time for a break," said the short owner of the restaurant. "You've been working for five hours straight! Take a rest now." Asou knew that there would be no arguing with his employer and did what he was told. However, instead of relaxing at one of the tables, Asou took out his math book and began to do his homework. Sara then knew that something was wrong.

Throughout the whole evening, Asou continued to work. He would only stop when the owner ordered him to take a break. Finally, after a few more hours and after the last customer left, it was time to close up. It didn't take that long since Asou did a lot of cleaning all through the day. As they were putting up the chairs, Sara began to ask Asou what she had on her mind.

"Asou-sempai, are you feeling alright?" she asked. Asou stopped what he was doing for a moment before continuing.

"Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, it's just that I've noticed that you weren't yourself today. In fact, you haven't been much like yourself for a long time now. I was wondering if something was bothering you?" stated the blonde girl. Asou let out a sigh.

"It's . . . personal," he said, hoping Sara would just leave it after that. He was mistaken.

"Does it have anything to do with a girl?" she asked. Asou almost dropped a chair on his foot.

"What?" Sara, flustered by what she just said, began to explain.

"Well, it's just that for a long time, you seem so happy. Like something really good had happened to you. But a week ago, you seemed really down as if something with you life went wrong. And now, today, you kept yourself busy; if seemed as if you were trying to keep your mind of something." Asou stared at Sara for a moment before sighing in defeat.

"I just . . . want to forget her. She doesn't feel the same way about me as I do for her. So I figured that I should just give up. I don't want to go through this again," he said as he remembered the time he saw Mikoto smiling so happily with an older man last year. Sara cocked her head.

"Oh, so she told you that she didn't like you?" she asked. Asou shook his head.

"Not exactly. She's just been avoiding me for awhile. And recently, she went on a date with some other guy. I think that it's pretty clear," he grunted.

"I don't think that's it," said Sara as she placed the last chair up. She motioned Asou to come and sit with her at the booth. "Just because she went on a date with a boy doesn't mean she's in love with him. She was probably too kindhearted to say no. And there are numerous reasons she could be avoiding you. Maybe she's done something she thought was wrong and couldn't face you. Or maybe she likes you too." Asou looked at Sara with disbelief.

"If she likes me, why would she avoid me?" he asked.

"Some girls are so shy that they feel nervous around their crushes. They're words get twisted up and they're hearts start speeding up. I've seen girls act that way before," explained Sara. Asou began to ponder her words. Could it really be possible?

"I don't know," doubted Asou.

"Just try talking to her again. Maybe, you should tell her how you feel," suggested Sara.

"What? I can't do that. What if she really doesn't like me?"

"I think you should you should take that chance. Sometimes, it's better to think about what did happen and not what could have happened," said Sara. Asou began to think about it. Perhaps she was right. What would be the harm in telling Tenma how he felt? It's not like things between them could get worse.

"Alright, I'll do. Tomorrow, I'll let her know," he said. Sara smiled at him. Being a nun part time had its benefits. She looked outside and noticed the weather.

"Oh, dear. It's raining," stated Sara. Asou followed her gaze and saw that she was right. "Good thing I brought my umbrella. What about you?"

"I have a rain coat," he said. She nodded at decided it was time to go home. As they stepped outside, Sara turned to Asou.

"Remember, don't give up. And I hope things work out for you," she said. Asou smiled towards his coworker and thanked her.

Asou was surprised when Sara gave him a hug, which he returned. She then said her good-byes and rushed off into the raining street. As he watched her walk down the sidewalk, he let a sigh. "Glad that's over," he said. As he rubbed his neck and turned around, he saw something that gave him a shock. There, holding an umbrella, was Tenma. Asou noticed that she was clutching her umbrella tight and her face held a look of hurt. He didn't know what to think. He, before him, was the girl whom he had feelings for. "Tenma?"

Tenma couldn't move. She decided to talk to Asou when his shift was over so she could be alone with him. But as she walked up to the restaurant, she saw Asou and Sara hugging. At that moment, she couldn't breathe. Was there something going on between the two of them? Was all hope of being with him lost? When Asou turned around and saw her, at that point, she was trembling. Not because of the cold weather but because of her despair. When she heard him call out her name, she felt like running away. Tenma took a step back, ready to flee but stopped herself when she remembered Akira's words from that morning.

"Tenma, what are you doing here?" asked Asou. Tenma took a shaking breath and decided to just let the words fly out.

"I . . . I just . . . ," Tenma gathered up what little courage she had left and spoke up. She had to do this. She was tired of hiding her feelings. "I know I'm not very good at sports; I know that I'm not really smart; I know that I'm not really pretty, and I also know that I have a lot of faults. But . . . I know where my feelings lie." Tenma felt her eyes began to water. She took one finally big breath and looked straight at Asou. "I . . . I really like you, Asou-kun! I always have!" With that, Tenma whipped around and ran away, discarding her umbrella.

Asou couldn't believe his ears. Did Tenma just say what he thought she said? What he always wanted to hear her say? This was really unbelievable. However, Asou had no time to think about all this. He immediately ran after Tenma when he noticed what she was doing. Due to his long legs and athletic ability, he was able to catch up to her in no time. He stopped her by wrapping his arms around her. He heard her gasp as he held her tight. No matter how much she struggled, he refused to let go.

"Tenma . . . so what if you're not good at sports, you always try your hardest at it. So what if you don't get high test scores? That doesn't mean you don't know a lot about other stuff. Who says you're not pretty? I think you are cute. And what you call faults, I call quirks. Tenma, those are the things I find charming about you. Those are the things I like about you. That's why I like you." Asou rested his head on her rain-soaked hair.

Tenma was too shocked to say anything. Asou said he liked her! Could it really be true? This was more than she ever expected. What she ever dreamed. More tears fell down her face but this time, it was for happiness. Trying to suppress her whimpering, she held the arms that were embracing her. No other words were needed at that point. They just held on to each other as the rain drops hit their bodies. It didn't matter to them. Because finally, they knew of each other's feelings.

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Yay! They finally admitted their feelings! So happy! So, what did you guys think? I tried my best on this one. I hope it was to your liking. Please review! I need the encouragement to continue!


	6. Love Sick

Hey everybody! I'm back! Sorry for the long wait, I've been cramming for exams and term papers. My brain needs a break! T.T So anyways, I've been working on this chapter little by little and have finally got it done. I hope you all enjoy it. I tried my best not to disappoint!

Disclaimer: I don't own School Rumble, yada, yada, yada. . .

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When Asou woke this morning, he had a smile on his face. He got out of bed, brushed his teeth, got dressed, and went downstairs for breakfast with a grin plaster on his lips. Both his parents were surprised. Usually he had a cool composure. They began to wonder if something good happened to their son the night before; which they wouldn't be wrong. Asou definitely had a reason to be happy. He and Tenma had finally admitted their feelings to each other. Last night was truly a night he wouldn't forget.

_After holding her in his arms, Asou turned Tenma around to look at her face. When he looked into her eyes, he finally saw the light that had been missing for days. After staring at her for a while, she finally realized it and turned away, blushing a bright red color. Asou smiled at her shyness and hugged her once more. A gasp escaped from her mouth as she was pressed against his body. As he held her, he could smell her sweet scent, and feel her body as her clothes were sticking to it. That's when something clicked in Asou's head. It was still raining and Tenma didn't have her umbrella on her. As if on cue, she let out a sneeze. _

"_Tenma! Shoot, we have to get you out of this rain," said a frantic Asou. They found shelter in a store's patio shade. Asou told Tenma to stay put as he raced back to the restaurant for her umbrella. When he returned, he could see Tenma's little form shivering from the wet clothes she had on. Asou felt bad for her as he gave her back her umbrella._

"_Thank you," he heard her say softly. Asou put his arm around Tenma's shoulder and began to walk her home. Neither of them said anything throughout that time. However, they both knew that there was no need to. They had both said what they wanted. Before they knew it, however, they had finally reached the Tsukamoto residence. Much to their disappointment, they had to part ways. Asou turned towards Tenma and held her hand in his._

"_Tenma, before I leave, I have to know where we stand. I don't want to go without both of us understanding the situation. I like you, and you like me. I have to know now: will you go out with me?" he said. Tenma stood still with her eyes wide for a moment before breaking out into a huge smile; a smile in which no one had seen in days. _

_Tenma's eyes filled with tears before she nodded. "Yes," she said. Asou smiled down at the young girl. He leaned down to kiss her forehead but instead met with the top of her head after she had sneezed. Concern began to consume him._

"_Oh geez, Tenma! Go inside and warm yourself up," Asou told her. _

"_But . . .then you'll leave," he heard her say. "I don't want you to go just yet." Tenma sounded so genuine that Asou almost hugged her again. _

"_Don't worry. I'll see you tomorrow at school, okay? Now, go inside and get warm," he said. Tenma nodded and Asou watched as she made her way into her house. After standing there for a few moment, Asou began his walk home._

After eating his breakfast, he headed towards to door for school. Asou had never really been in a hurry to get to school before. However, he knew that this was the first day that he and Tenma would be recognized as boyfriend and girlfriend. Asou then slowed down his pace and felt his face heat up. Tenma was his girlfriend now. This was it. No more subtle hints, no more longing looks, and no more avoiding each other. Now he couldn't wait to get to school and see Tenma. Nothing could go wrong.

"Ah-choo!" Tenma sniffled a bit. She felt horrible. Her body was shivering, she felt cold, her head felt cloudy, her nose was stuffy, and she had a fever. To simply put it, she had a cold. Yakumo came in with a tray of soup and orange juice. She set it near her bed and reached to pulled out the thermometer from Tenma's mouth. Yakumo frowned when she saw it read 38.8 degrees (Celsius).

"Nee-san, this is what happens after getting soaked in the rain and not drying yourself properly," scolded the younger sister. "Though, I am glad you settled things with Asou-sempai."

"We didn't just settled things," began Tenma, sounded oral. "He asked me to go out with him." Even though she felt so sick, she couldn't help give off the feeling that she was flying high. Yakumo smiled gently at her.

"I'm very happy for you, Nee-san. However, I'm afraid that thanks to this cold, you will have to stay in bed all day." Tenma frowned at the obvious detail. She was looking forward to seeing Asou today. "If you'd like, I can stay and take care of you," offered Yakumo. Tenma shook her head.

"No. I don't want you to miss school. You go on. I'll just stay here and sleep," she said. Yakumo looked unsure but she knew that her sister was serious about her going to school.

"Okay. But please go to the hospital if you start feeling worse," said Yakumo with a voice filled with concern. Tenma nodded and nestled deeper under the covers. Yakumo headed out the door and straight to school.

:: At School ::

Asou was waiting at the gate for Tenma. Even though he hid it well, he couldn't help but feel eager. He didn't even feel this much excitement when he was dating Mikoto. He kept looking towards the direction he knew Tenma would be walking from. He contemplated about picking her up but for some reason, decided against it thinking that maybe Tenma would like to take it slow. Just then, Asou noticed Yakumo walking up to the school. A smile spread on his face but slowly fell when he didn't see her with her older sister. Curiosity got a hold of him and walked up to Yakumo.

"Hey, Tsukamoto, when is your sister going to get here?" asked Asou. He could see her surprise about him talking to her but then saw her face fell.

"Oh, well you see, Nee-san is at home right now. It seems as though she caught a cold," said Yakumo with her voice laced in worry. Asou's eyes widen and then groaned. He couldn't believe it. Tenma caught a cold. And just when he thought today was going to be a great day. Suddenly, something came to mind.

"Wait. Is your sister all alone?" he asked. Yakumo looked down with an almost guilty expression on her face.

"N-Nee-san told me to go to school. She said that she would be alright. However, I am worried about her," said Yakumo. Asou's concern for Tenma grew.

"Yakumo! Asou-sempai!" the two teens turned their heads to see Sara walking up to them. "What are you two talking about?" she asked.

"Good morning, Sara. It's just that Nee-san is sick today and Asou-sempai was asking about her," explained Yakumo.

"Oh, sorry to hear that. I hope she feels better soon. By the way, Asou-sempai, did my advice help?" asked Sara. Asou turned his head away and blushed.

"Yeah, thanks for that," he said. Sara just smiled warmly.

"Let's go, Yakumo. I have some questions about last nights homework I was hoping you could help me with," said Sara. Yakumo nodded and the two girls bowed to Asou and walked towards the building. Asou stayed behind with his thoughts. After much thinking, Asou took off running out of the school.

:: Tsukamoto Residence ::

Tenma was not feeling any better. She felt as if there was an intense banging in her head. She opened her eyes and glanced over to her table. There was the empty bowl and empty glass sitting there. Tenma began to regret drinking all the juice since now her throat was incredibly parched. She then pushed the blanket off of her and got up from the bed.

Tenma began to reconsider her decision after feeling how much her body ached when she moved. However, her thirst for water gave her the incentive to move. She first went into the upstairs bathroom to drink the water there. However, the tap water made her cringed. With no where else to go but to the kitchen, Tenma made her way to the stairs. She let out a sigh as she looked down at the many steps. Slowly, she began to walk down the stairs. To Tenma, it was taking forever and each step she took cause her great pain. So much so that tears were beginning to form in her eyes. Tenma was just about to hit the final step when her head started to feel fuzzy. Her vision grew hazy, and the last thing she saw was the floor drawing closer to her.

Outside, Asou was standing right in front the Tsukamoto's house. He should have known that the front door would be locked. Asou almost kicked himself for being careless. He ran all the way here from school because he was worried about Tenma being all alone and sick in her house. He let out a groan in annoyance.

Just then, he heard a meow from close by. He turned his head and saw a black cat with a scar on his forehead by the side of the house. He recognized it as the Tsukamoto's house cat. He was about to pay it no mind when he noticed that it kept meowing at him and looking back. Curiosity took over Asou as he walked closer to the cat while it kept moving back.

"Does it want me to follow it?" asked Asou out loud. With nothing to lose, and with no one watching, he followed the cat around to the back of the house. Asou saw the cat use its paw to slide the door open and rushed in. "Well, who knew that a cat would be so smart?". Asou opened the door fully and walked in. "Hello? Tenma? It's me, Asou! I'm coming in!" he called out.

Asou then heard another meow sound coming from another room. He followed the sound and found the cat and something more. Next to the black cat, was Tenma, laying down on the floor!

"Tenma!" Asou called out in dread. He quickly ran over to Tenma and turned her over. Asou noticed that her face was flushed, her body temperature was high, and her breathing sounded short. Thinking fast, Asou lifted Tenma up in his arms and went upstairs. He looked around for her room and went into the one with the door opened. He then laid her down on her bed and covered her up with her blankets. "I need to cool you down," said Asou. He rushed to the find the bathroom to soak a cloth in cold water. When he returned, he placed the folded, wet cloth on her forehead. Asou then sat down at her desk chair and sighed. He looked back at Tenma's face and was relieved to see it that her breathing was returning to normal. Asou felt really lucky for Tenma that he came by when he did. Also, he'd have to thank that cat somehow.

About two hours later, Tenma began to slowly open her eyes. She tried to move but still felt really weak. She remembered that she was going downstairs for some water but then it become all black. Tenma then noticed that she was in her bedroom as she sat up. She looked around the room and noticed that the tray that Yakumo brought her was gone and a bowl of ice water was on her desk. She also noticed that a cool wet towel was on her forehead.

"Did Yakumo stay home from school to watch over me?" Tenma asked out loud in a raspy voice. "Oh man. I feel awful that my sister had to stay home because of me. Wait. . . Did Yakumo carry me up the stairs by herself?" Just then, Tenma heard footsteps coming towards her room. The person that entered her room was not someone she'd expected to see. Coming through that door, holding a thermometer, was Asou!

"Asou-kun! Wha-what are you doing here?" asked a very surprised Tenma. She then noticed that she was showing her pajamas to him. And she was sure that she looked a mess with a red, stuffy nose, watery eyes, and bed head. She quickly ducked under the covers in embarrassment. Asou was surprised by her actions but then chuckled when he realized why she did it.

"Are you feeling better, Tenma?" asked Asou. Tenma managed to peek through the blankets.

"Um, yeah . . . I'm okay. But . . .why are you here?" asked Tenma. Asou smiled when he walked to stand beside her bedside.

"Well, I heard from your sister that you were sick and staying home alone. I got worried and rushed over," he explained.

"Y-You didn't have to do that," said Tenma, pulling the sheets down more.

"Oh, yes I did," said Asou. "If I didn't come over, you would have been in serious trouble. If it wasn't for that cat, I would have never found you passed out on the floor like that."

"Cat? Oh, you mean Iori. What do you mean if it wasn't for him?"

"Long story. But first, I want to take your temperature. Open your mouth, please," said Asou as he held the thermometer to her. Tenma sheepishly opened her mouth and let Asou stick the instrument under her tongue. "I'll be back to bring something to drink." With that, Asou got up and headed out the door. Tenma was once again left alone in her room. She began to contemplate the situation at hand.

_Asou-kun is here taking care of me. We're all alone in this house! What should I do? Well, it's not like we could do anything since I'm sick. Ugh! He's seeing me sick! I must look awful! _thought Tenma with dread. A few seconds later, Asou came in with a glass of water in his hand.

"Here you go, Tenma. You're voice did sound a little rough," he said. He took out the thermometer from her mouth and looked at it. "Still seems a bit high but not that bad. You should still take it easy." Asou offered her the glass of water, and Tenma carefully took it and drank almost half of it. "You must have been thirsty," observed Asou.

"That was the reason I went downstairs for. I was going to get a drink of water when . . .everything became black. Next thing I know, I wake up and find you coming in," explained Tenma.

"Well, it's a good thing you weren't hurt. Now, you should get some more rest. When you wake up, I'll have some soup prepared for you," said Asou. As he was about to turn to leave, he felt something hold him back, or rather someone. He turned his head back and saw that Tenma was holding onto the sleeve of his shirt.

"I . . . I don't want you to leave," said Tenma rather bashfully. Asou blinked then smiled at her.

"Don't worry. I'll just go to the store to pick up some things and be back before you wake up," reassured Asou. Tenma let him go and nodded. He smiled and walked out of the room. Tenma laid back down on her bed and was overcome with sleep once again.

Later, Tenma was awaken by an aroma filling her sense of smell. She opened her eyes to see Asou walking in her room with a tray and a bowl on top of it. Tenma sat up on her bed and let Asou place the tray on her lap and saw that there was a bowl of soup and a glass of water on it.

"It's leek soup," said Asou. "I heard it's good for you if you have a cold."

"Thank you," said Tenma as she smiled at Asou. She picked up the spoon next to the bowl and began to consume the soup. Since her nose was still stuffy, she was unable to taste it but it was still able to fill her stomach. Asou watched as Tenma began to eat without trouble.

"There's plenty more if you're still hungry," he said. Tenma smiled and nodded her head.

"What time is it?" she asked. Asou blinked and took out his cell phone from his pocket.

"It's five after 12. If you'd like, I can call your sister up and let her know I'm watching over you and that you're okay. It's almost lunchtime at school," he said.

"No, that's fine," said Tenma. "I'll just send her a text message."

"Well, you do seem like you're getting better," Asou noticed. "But to be on the safe side, don't strain your body to much, okay?" Tenma nodded just as she was finishing her soup.

"Thank you, Asou-kun, for taking care of me," said Tenma gratefully. "I don't know what I'd be doing without you here." Asou smiled at her warmly, something that was rare of him to do.

"Well, you are my girlfriend. I should think it would be my duty to watch over you," he said. Tenma giggled but then something clicked in her mind.

"Asou-kun," began Tenma. Asou looked at her. "Why did . . .if you actually do like me, why did you . . .say you wouldn't go out with me?" she asked. Asou looked back at Tenma with confusion.

"What are you talking about? When did I say that?" he asked. Tenma looked down at her lap.

"Last week . . . I was walking towards your class and heard you through the door. You said that you wouldn't date me cause you didn't see me in that way," said Tenma. Asou began to think back in his mind to remember if he actually said such a thing. Then it came to him. It was the day the guys in class were asking him if he wanted to date Yakumo. Tenma must have misinterpret it as them talking about her. That was also the day in which Tenma started acting strange with him. Now it all made sense to him.

"Tenma, that day, it wasn't what you thought," began Asou. For the next few minutes, Asou began to explain what when on in the classroom that day. He told her about how Nara asked him about them and how it escalated to the guys in the class talking about her younger sister.

Tenma covered her mouth in shock. So the whole thing had just been a misunderstanding! She was going through hell because she was mistaken about what he had meant. Tenma almost felt like banging her head against the wall. She couldn't believe how much of an idiot she was.

"I'm sorry, Asou-kun. I should have known better than to think that," said Tenma. "I'm such an dummy." Tenma hung her head low. Asou looked at her.

"Is that why you were acting different later that day? Because of what you thought I meant?" Tenma nodded her head. Asou sighed but then chuckled. "Well, I'll forgive you for misunderstanding," he said. Tenma sighed in relief. "However, there is one thing you have to do for me," Asou continued as he held up his index finger.

"W-What?" asked Tenma. Asou smiled and used his upright finger to tap her on the nose.

"You have to promise me that you'll never go out with Nara ever again," he said somewhat sternly. Tenma's eyes widen slightly but then giggled.

"Okay! I promise that I'll never date Nara, or anyone else for that matter, since I'm with you!" Tenma said with honesty. The both of them just sat facing one another while staring at each other. Just then, Asou's phone started ringing. He let out a sigh, pulled his cell phone out of his pocket, and stepped outside of the room. He looked at the caller I.D. and saw it was Suga. Asou let out another sigh and decided to answer it.

"Hey," he simply said.

"Hey, Asou! Where the hell are you? And don't tell me you're at home, sick because you sound healthy to me!" yelled Suga. Asou pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance.

"I'm taking care of someone. Look, can you take notes and get my homework?" he asked.

"What? Where are you? Come on, tell me who you're taking care of," asked Suga.

"I'll tell you later. I gotta go. Later," said Asou as he hung up the phone before Suga could ask any more questions. He walked back into Tenma's bedroom and saw that she had her cell phone in hand. She looked up at him and smile.

"I just texted Yakumo to let her know I was doing fine. She just messaged me saying that's she glad and I should't overdo it," said Tenma. Asou nodded and walked up to her.

"Let's take your temperature again. Just to make sure you're feeling alright," he said. Tenma nodded and waited for Asou to get the thermometer.

After several hours of talking, Tenma and Asou began to learn a lot about each other. They talked about their favorite subjects in school, their favorite foods, their favorite TV shows, and stories about their childhood. Asou was more talkative than usual but Tenma didn't mind. In fact, she enjoyed that they were getting to know so much about one another. And also, Asou was into a lot more things than just basketball. She learned that he liked action films and hip-hop music. It was so wonderful learning new things about him. Unfortunately, before they could continue with their chatting, they heard some one calling out from downstairs.

"Nee-san! I'm home!" They recognized the voice as Yakumo's.

"Oh. Yakumo's home," stated Tenma. "That means that school's already let out. Time sure does fly, huh?"

"Yeah," agreed Asou. They heard a knock on the door and saw Yakumo opening the door.

"Nee-san, how are you feeling?" she asked. She saw Asou and gave a surprised look. "Oh, Asou-sempai, I didn't realize you were still here." Asou stood up from where he was sitting.

"Well, I think that I should get going home then. I'm sure your sister would want to talk to you," said Asou. As he was about to turn to walk out, Tenma reached out and took hold of his arm. This came as a surprise to everyone, including Tenma herself. She blushed heavily and let go.

"I-I'm sorry. I-I-I really don't know what came over me," said an embarrassed Tenma. The other two stared at her for a moment, then Yakumo smiled.

"Asou-sempai, why don't you stay a little longer? I can go make some tea," suggested Yakumo. Asou looked at Yakumo for a moment and then to Tenma. He smiled at her and turned back to Yakumo.

"Okay. I can stay a little longer if you don't mind," he said.

"No, we don't mind. I'll go and make the tea," said Yakumo with a smile. She then turned and walked out of the room. Asou turned towards Tenma and saw that she was still blushing.

"Um, I uh. . .sorry if I startled you. I just didn't . . . want you to leave . . .yet. I just. . . I just. . . ," she said looking sheepishly at her sheets. Asou blinked but then smiled. He took a seat on her bed to face Tenma.

"Tenma, it's okay. Don't worry, I'll stay," he said in a comforting tone. Tenma looked up and smiled at him. Then something came to Asou's mind.

"Say, Tenma, do you want to walk to school together tomorrow?" he asked. Tenma beamed up even more. It was like they're really going to take that step of being boyfriend and girlfriend in front of others.

"Yeah! I'd like that!" she exclaimed.

Yakumo was outside of her sister's room listening in. She knew that she shouldn't but she felt compelled to do so. After listening for some time, Yakumo peaked in and saw something she hadn't seen in a awhile: her sister's smile. Tenma's smile led Yakumo to smile. She then got away from the door and headed downstairs for the tea. As she got to the last step, she looked back upstairs.

"Thank you, Asou-sempai," whispered Yakumo. She hoped that the both of them would be very happy from now on with no hindrance. If only things were that easy . . .

tbc

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Well, I hoped you liked it. And yes, I'm still going to continue it. I just hope you all will give me support to continue. Please review!


	7. One Couple, Two Heartaches

YES! I'm back! (don't kill me!) Sorry about the delay but I attend a private university so getting a chance to write this along with term papers and such for each class was hard. But, I started this story so I have to try and finish it! I tried to make this chapter longer to make up for my absence. Anyways, let the (only) AsouxTenma fanfic saga continue~!

Disclaimer: Don't own School Rumble, blah, blah, blah. . .

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Finally, the day has come. The day that two excited teens were waiting for. It was the day that Tenma Tsukamoto and Hiroyoshi Asou were to publicize their relationship. And even though Asou was happy for finally winning her heart, Tenma was beaming with delight. She had just gotten into her first relationship. What was there not to be excited about? Especially since it was with a guy she truly had feelings for. Oh she could hardly wait to see him. He did say that they were going to walk to school together. Tenma even spent extra time in front of the mirror to prepare. She was looking forward going to school more than ever. Just as she got her pigtails just right, Tenma heard her sister call.

"Nee-san! Breakfast is ready!" Tenma hurried out of the room and went down stairs. As she entered the kitchen, Yakumo noticed the skip in her step. "Good morning, Nee-san," she said.

"Good morning, Yakumo!" Tenma said with enthusiasm. Yakumo was relieved to see her sister's cheerful self again. Ever since the other night, she noticed that her older sister was in a better mood. "Boy, that sure looks good!" Yakumo snapped out of it to see that Tenma was looking at her breakfast.

"Oh, it's nothing. It's a simple meal," said Yakumo modestly.

"Ah, don't be like that. A woman that can cook doubles her beauty!" said Tenma with enthusiasm. Yakumo blushed at her sister's words.

"Nee-san . . ." Soon, they sat down to eat the breakfast Yakumo prepared. It felt like before with a lot of warm and smiles and chatter about what day was going to be like. Even the cat, Iori, felt the mood lighten up from the past several days.

"So, is Asou-sempai coming to pick you up?" asked Yakumo.

"Yeah! He said he coming by so he should be here soon," beamed Tenma. Yakumo smiled and nodded but then a thought came up.

"Nee-san, does Souh know about you and sempai?" she asked worriedly. Tenma paused but then nodded.

"Yeah, she knows of my feelings. When Asou-kun took me out last school term, she called me and I told her about it,"

(Flashback)

_"You will never guess who I went out with," said Mikoto from the other end of the phone line. Tenma giggled._

_"And you'll never believe who I went out with either," she said with pride._

"Oh? You went out too? So, does that tone of your voice mean that you're feeling better?" asked Mikoto.

"_Yeah! Asou-kun took me out to cheer me up. It helped a lot!" Tenma said with a huge smile._

"_Asou? He took you out on a date?" asked Mikoto perplexed. Tenma's smile suddenly faded. How could she have forgotten?_

"_Miko . . .it wasn't really a date. He took me out so I would stop being depressed about Kurasuma, that's about it," she said. Tenma wanted to smack herself. How could she forget that Mikoto and Asou went out before? Now, how could see really go out with her best friend's ex-boyfriend? Tenma was once again beginning to feel bad._

"_Tenma, don't worry about it. If you want to date Asou, go for it. We weren't really dating that much before. I mean, when we broke it off, it was mutual. Don't let that thing we had affect a chance with him," said Mikoto in understanding. Tenma blinked._

"_But, Mikoto, we're just friends! Today was just time spent with friends!" Tenma suddenly remembered the kiss she gave Asou on his cheek and her face heated up._

"_Tenma, something tells me that there's more to it." Tenma felt guilty. "If you and Asou do decide to be together, I will support it," finished Mikoto._

"_Miko, we're just friends," Tenma tried to persuade Mikoto, as well as herself, of her platonic feelings._

"_It's fine, honest. Besides, I called with some news remember?" Tenma did remember that Mikoto called her to tell her something. For the next hour, Tenma listened as Mikoto told her about her date with Imadori._

(End Flashback)

"She said that if Asou and I do decide to go out with each other, she will support it. I let know her last night. She sounded happy about it," finished Tenma. Yakumo felt relieved. She didn't want her sister to have any more problems. Just then, Tenma jumped up. "Oh no! I'm going to be late!" she shouted as she stuffed a piece of toast bread in her mouth and rushed to get her school bag. Yakumo came at attention as well and grabbed the bento she made for her sister.

"Don't forget your lunch, Nee-san," she said. Tenma dashed back and grabbed the lunch.

"Thanks Yakumo! See you later!" Tenma then hurried to put her shoes on at the door and ran outside. She jogged up the street to the corner and saw Asou was already there, waiting for her. After she called out to him, he turned and gave a small smile. She stopped before him, gasping for air.

"G'morning, Tenma," he said amused. She looked up and grinned.

"Good morning! I hope you weren't waiting long," said Tenma.

"No, I'm good. We should get going though," Asou said casually. Tenma smile grew even bigger as she walked with a spring in her step next to her boyfriend. _"Boyfriend?! I have a boyfriend! Asou-kun is my boyfriend!"_ Tenma's face was blushing all over. This felt almost surreal for her. To think that she, Tenma Tsukamoto, would be going out with one of the coolest guys in school, Hiroyoshi Asou! Tenma couldn't help but laugh in glee.

Asou looked down at Tenma when he heard her laugh. He found it kind of cute. He was happy that he and Tenma were finally together, though others might not be able to tell. Being around her made his time enjoyable, and now that they were dating, it was going to be better. Asou looked down at her bag which she carried with both hands in front of her. He noticed that she put back the rainbow keychain he gave her. He felt a small sense of pride run through him. He and Tenma were finally a couple, and he was going to make sure that everyone was aware of it.

After having a small conversion on what their plans were for later that day, Tenma and Asou finally arrived at the front entrance of the school. Tenma looked up at Asou shyly. He looked down at her and gave her a nod. Tenma smiled with confidence and walked through the pathway with Asou. They walked together to their shoe locker and made their way up to the third-year's floor. After walking midway into through the hall, Tenma came to a stop. Asou took a couple of steps ahead before he noticed. He looked at Tenma as she looked nervously down at her feet.

"What's wrong, Tenma?" asked Asou. Tenma took a deep breath and looked up at him.

"I . . . remember that I need . . .to tell Nara. I went out on a date with him but didn't have a chance to. . ." Tenma trailed off. Asou could hear the guilt that was in her tone. He took a deep breath and straightens his back.

"Tenma, listen. Don't feel bad about it. You went on one date with Nara. One date. It's not like you were going steady with him," said Asou. Tenma nodded.

"I know. It's just that, well. . . Nara seems to really like me, and now you and I-"

"There's nothing about it that should make you feel upset over it. Just be honest about it and he'll get over it," interrupted Asou. Tenma thought about it for a moment and sighed.

"You're right. There's no use in delaying it. I just have to get it over with!" said Tenma with determination. Asou smiled at her and nodded as she went out in search for Nara.

Tenma decided for to check in the classrooms and hallways first. However, she had no luck in finding him yet. Tenma began to go outside, thinking that perhaps Nara hadn't gotten to school yet and would wait for him to show up. As she began to walk into the shoe locker area, she stopped short and who she saw up ahead. It was the person she was looking for, Kenataro Nara. As Tenma saw him take his shoes off to replace them with his indoor shoes, she felt her heartbeat speed up. She began to get nervous again. What would she say to him? Tenma grabbed her head in frustration. So many thoughts were running through her mind until she heard her name being called out.

"Tenma? Are you alright?" Tenma looked up and saw that Nara was right in front of her. She squeaked in surprise and stepped back.

"N-Nara! I was just looking for you!" said Tenma nervously while rubbing the back of her head. Nara just grinned, not suspecting anything.

"Really? Okay. I didn't get to see you yesterday since you were absent. I heard that you were sick. So, what did you want to talk to me about?" he said. Tenma began to get more nervous. She looked around and figured that this was not the place to discuss things.

"Could we . . .talk in private?" she asked. Nara cocked his head to the side, confused a bit by her request.

"Sure, no problem," he said. Nara began to follow Tenma as she led him outside to the side of the school building; the place where he first asked her out. She looked around and figured that she and Nara had enough privacy here. She looked up and him and figured that it was now or never.

"Nara-kun, I have. . .something to tell you," began Tenma. She began to fiddle with her fingers nervously. After a few seconds, she took a deep breath and looked Nara in the eyes. "I'm sorry but. . . I can't go out with you anymore!" she finished as she bowed to him. Both Tenma and Nara stood still for several seconds.

". . . Is it because of Asou?" asked Nara. Tenma's eyes widen and looked up at him.

"How did you-"

"I sorta already knew that you liked each other. I think it was only a matter of time before you both got together," explained Nara. Tenma couldn't help the blush forming on her face. "Besides, I should have known this was coming. I guess I wanted to go out with you while I still had the chance." Nara was rubbing the back of his head in a bashful manner.

"Oh Nara. . .I'm really sorry it had to be like this," said Tenma, feeling slightly guilty for unconsciously obtaining the boy's heart.

"It's okay, Tenma. I'm just glad that you will be happy. And I'm glad I had the courage to ask you out too. I really do hope that you and Asou will be happy with each other," said Nara with a gentle smile. Tenma felt relief as a weight was just lifted from her chest.

"Thank you, Nara-kun," she said, returning the smile. Nara nodded at her, allowing her to turn around and go back inside the building. Nara stayed there by himself for a few moments alone with his thoughts. His first relationship ended almost as soon as it started. Nara let out a sigh in defeat. Oh well, at least he wasn't going to end his high school days without going on a date. Perhaps this step he could would lead to him becoming bolder in his actions in the future. Nara straightened up, adjusted his collar and decided to get inside and let the guys know that he and Tenma were not becoming a couple after all.

Tenma was practically skipping through the halls. She had finally gotten rid of all obstacles from dating Asou freely! She was feeling incredibly happy! She and Asou could now do things couples do openly. Tenma was overly excited! She couldn't wait to get to Asou and let him know that she and Nara got things cleared up. Tenma began hurrying through the halls to find him.

Meanwhile, with Asou, things were getting pretty noisy. Suga managed to track down Asou and began to attack him with questions about what occurred the day before.

"Asou! What happened to you yesterday?! I kept calling you and texting you and all I get was, 'I'll talk to you later' which you never did! What gives? You know how hard it was to take notes for you?" nagged Suga. Asou just sighed and looked to his side, away from Suga.

"Stuff came up, alright. You don't have to bleed my ear out," he said casually.

"Why you-! How could you be so cold! I was worried about you!" shouted Suga.

"What a way to show it. . ." said Asou. Suga was steaming at this point. Before he could say anything else, they both heard Asou's name being called out. The guys turned their heads to down the hall and saw Tenma walking over with a spring in her step. In no time, she made it over to them.

"Asou-kun, I did it! I told him what happened and he understood. Isn't that great?! Oh, good morning, Suga," said Tenma with a happy smile. Suga greeted her back and then turned back to look at Asou. To his surprise, Asou had a smile on his face. But it wasn't just the smile that got Suga attention. It was Asou's eyes. He looked genuinely happy. He turned to Tenma and saw the same look in her eyes. Both of their auras also seemed to be lively. Suddenly, Suga was hit was a realization.

"Wait. . . could it be. . . did you two. . . Are you two. . . together?" asked Suga. The couple looked at Suga in surprise. However, instead of answering, they both looked to their feet, both with heavy blushes on their cheeks. That was all the answer he needed. Suga broke out into a grin and embraced couple. "Alright! I knew you two would get together! This is awesome! I'm so happy for you guys!" shouted Suga as his embrace got tighter on the two. Tenma's blush deepened in color while Asou tried his best to loosen Suga's hold on them.

"Hey! Knock it off already!" yelled Asou. However, Suga paid it no mind.

"This is great! I'm glad because now Asou doesn't have to go moping around anymore!" Both Tenma and Asou froze and each of their blushes deepened: Asou's for embarrassment and Tenma's for being slightly flattered. Asou finally got one arm free and knocked Suga on the back of the head.

"Will you shut up, you moron?" Suga let the couple go to hold his aching head that was forming a small bump. Before any kind of exchange could happen, the bell rang, signaling the students to head to their own classes. Tenma was a bit disappointed that she and Asou had to leave each other's side.

:: During Break ::

Mikoto was very amazed at what Tenma was telling her as they walked into the hallway. She couldn't believe that a lot went on when Tenma was sick at home. Who would have imagined that Asou would actually go over and take care of her? Mikoto wondered for a brief moment if Asou would have done that for her when they were still together but she shook the thought away. Tenma was just beaming with giddiness.

". . . if it wasn't for Asou-kun, who knows how bad I would have gotten. But I'm glad that we were able to get a lot closer now," said Tenma as a light blush was appearing on her cheeks. Mikoto's face was stoic for a while before she broke into a smile.

"That's great, Tenma! I'm so happy for you!" said Mikoto in a tone that may or may not have seemed forced. Before Tenma could continue, she noticed Asou stepping out of his class. Tenma couldn't contain her happiness.

"Excuse, Miko-chan. I need to talk to Asou-kun" she said. Mikoto understood and nodded her head in permission to leave.

Mikoto smiled as she watched Tenma walked toward Asou. There also seemed to be an extra skip in her walk. However, something tugged at Mikoto when she saw Asou smile at Tenma. It was something that she herself rarely saw. She couldn't remember him actually smiling like that when they were dating. It was a strange feeling to see that guy she once dated smile at one of her best friends and the feeling was getting darker.

Tenma and Asou began to discuss about things they could do now that they were a couple. They exchanged e-mail addresses, schedules, and even decided to set aside certain days in which they could have lunch together. It was going to be a stretch since they were in different classes and both had jobs (A/N: _Remember that __Tenma does work in the manga and series_). They decided that they were really going to make this relationship work. Tenma couldn't help but beam a smile at Asou. Even though their relationship was official and publically known, she still had butterflies being with him. Asou was even smiling as well, which was often rare for anyone to see. To all viewing from afar, they seemed like the ideal couple.

Speaking of those watching from afar, there was one person who was watching them intensely. Harima couldn't help but keep his eyes on the pair close by but most specifically on Tenma. Seeing her smiling and laughing like her usual self was a relief compared to how she was a few days before. Tenma was someone who should always be smiling; frowns appearing on her face should be forbidden. However, even though seeing her happy was a treat, Harima couldn't help but feel jealous that her happiness was directed towards someone else. Some one that wasn't him. Harima knows that it wasn't that much different than from last year when she was chasing after Karasuma but it also wasn't the same. This time, Tenma wasn't "free" to pursue. She now has a boyfriend who cares deeply for her. Harima sighed in defeat and sulked away.

Later that day, just after lunch, Mikoto and Tenma went into the girl's restroom to wash their hands. Tenma was talking almost non-stop about her and Asou. Sure, she took a breather to listen to other people's stories and troubles, but for Tenma, it seemed as if nothing else was on her mind. It was understandable to Akira and Eri since Asou was Tenma's first boyfriend. However, Mikoto was barely holding it together. Something about how Tenma was explaining her feeling for ex and his actions towards her was making her chest tightened. As she and Tenma were finishing up, Mikoto lost it.

"Hey Mikoto, do you think we should all go on a group date together soon?" asked Tenma innocently.

"Shut up, Tenma! Just shut up!" shouted Mikoto. Tenma was stunned.

"W-What's wrong, Mikoto?"

"All you do now is go on and on about you and Asou! It's like you're a broken record. Why don't you just shut up about this relationship already! You're making me sick!" yelled Mikoto.

"Mikoto. . .what's wrong? Why are you acting like this?" asked a very perplexed Tenma.

"Why?! Tenma, does it surprise you that I'm acting like this after knowing you're dating my ex?!" Mikoto was beginning to seethe with anger. Tenma stepped back from Mikoto. She had never seen her friend act so angry, not even with Eri!

"Mikoto. . . You said it was alright. You said that you were fine with it," said Tenma with caution.

"Fine!? How could I be fine with it?! You're my friend and you're dating my ex! Who does that?!" yelled Mikoto in fury. Tenma was now shaking by Mikoto's words.

". . . Mikoto?"

"Damn, Tenma! You're such an idiot!" Mikoto walked out of the restroom in a huff. Tenma was seriously confused. What made Mikoto this angry? Was it really due to her dating Asou? But, Mikoto said she over Asou a long time ago and that she would support them. What was happening between Tenma and Mikoto? Tenma felt a horrible tightness in her chest which almost made her cry. What Tenma or Mikoto didn't realize was that they were not alone when they entered the restroom. There was a mysterious girl in one of the stalls who overheard everything.

.

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So, what did you think? I wasn't going to end the chapter with closure! I have to have something to have you keep coming back to read. I'll try to have Beauty Queen Lala updated soon. (I admit, I've been caught up in a new fandom: Hetalia but I refuse to let this story go unfinished). Please review!


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